GLOSSARY OF MARXIST-LENINIST TERMS AND CONCEPTS

From: USA Survival News http://www.usasurvival.org/ck05.14.1.html

House, Moscow, 1982

POLITICAL TERMS

AGITATION: "an activity in the form of dissemination of ideas and information and of
putting forward of slogans and appeals during talks, at meetings, on the radio, TV, in
films and through the press (newspapers), magazines, books, posters, cartoons, and so
on), aimed at influencing the minds and feelings of the people. Agitation is one of the
forms of political, ideological struggle between social classes and parties."

ANTAGONISM: is "an irreconcilable contradiction In a society based on exploitation

antagonism manifests itself in struggle between exploiters and the exploited,
oppressors and the oppressed. This contradiction can be resolved only in a
revolutionary way, through social revolution."

ANTI-SOVIETISM: is "hostile activity against the Soviet Union which consists in

misrepresenting the Soviet way of life and the Soviet state's domestic and foreign
policy. Anti-Sovietism is the central component of anti-communism."

BOURGEOIS-DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION: "abourgeois revolution [is] distinguished by

the participation in it of the broad masses of the people pressing their demands."

BOURGEOIS REVOLUTION: is "a socialrevolution whose principal task is to destroy the

feudal system (or its vestiges) and to establish the economic and political domination of
the bourgeoisie. In dependent and colonial countries the bourgeois revolution is aimed
also at winning national independence."

CLASS STRUGGLE: is "struggle between classes whose interests are incompatible and
irreconcilable. ...This struggle is determined by the production relations established
between the two principal classes of capitalist society -- the proletariat and the
bourgeoisie, by the fundamental opposition of their economic and political status in
society.
"The proletariat wages its class struggle in three main forms: economic, political and
ideological."

COMMUNISM: is "the social and economic formation which replaces capitalism and
which is based on public ownership of the means of production. Socialism is its first,
lower phase. The higher phase of this formation is communism proper which is a
'classless social system with one form of public ownership and full social equality of all
members of society;' ... .

"The building of communism is the ultimate aim of the Communist parties."

COUNTERREVOLUTION: is "active struggle by the reactionary class, which has been or

is being deposed in the course of a social revolution, against the new social order and
for the preservation or restoration of the outdated social and political system."

CULTURAL REVOLUTION: is "the mastering by the masses of the people of advanced

progressive ideology and culture, the creation of a new culture on the basis of critical
assimilation of the cultural heritage of the past, of the treasures of world culture.

"The cultural revolution is a component part of the building of socialism."

DEMOCRACY "(literally, government by the people), a form of political organization of

society and the state under which power legally belongs to the people, and all citizens
are equal before the law and enjoy political rights and freedoms, including the right to
take part in managing the affairs of state.

"In a society divided into antagonistic classes the benefits of democracy are enjoyed
primarily by the dominant class of exploiters.

DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM: is "the guiding organizational principle of Marxist-Leninist

Communist and workers' parties, government organs and youth, trade union and other
public organizations in the socialist countries.

"Democratic centralism in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union means that all
leading Party bodies from top to bottom are elected. . . It means inner-Party
democracy, criticism and self-criticism."

"DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: "a political conception according to which capitalism can be

transformed into socialism through democratic means.

"The proponents of democratic socialism reject the fundamental propositions of

Marxism-Leninism on classes and class struggle, socialist revolution and dictatorship of
the proletariat and preach the ideas of "people's capitalism" and of the alleged
conversion of the capitalist state into the 'welfare state.'

"In their political programmes they do not envisage destruction of the social and
economic foundations of the capitalist system... ."

DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM, "the scientific philosophical world outlook, a component of

Marxism-Leninism, the universal method of cognition of the laws governing the
development of nature, society and thought... . The philosophy of Marxism is
materialistic because it is based on the doctrine of the material nature of the world, of
the world being matter, infinite in space and time.

"This philosophy is called dialectical because it recognizes the universal interconnection

of things and phenomena in the world, the motion and development of the world as a
result of internal contradictions."

DIALECTICS: is "a science of the development of nature, society and thought which
examines things and phenomena from all aspects, in their contradictions and
interconnections, in specific historical conditions and in relation to social practice."

DICTATORSHIP: "1) state power expressing the interests of the dominant class and
ensuring is political supremacy; 2) autocratic rule; concentration of power in one or
several persons as under fascist dictatorship."

COMMENT: Thus, in accord with the first expression, the "dictatorship of the
bourgeoisie" expresses the interests of that class. In the same fashion, the "dictatorship
of the proletariat" expresses the interests of that class. These two forms of
"dictatorship" are hostile as are the two social systems which each represents, and can
only be resolved by the victory of one over the other.

DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT: "rule by the working class established as a

result of a socialist revolution and maintained through the transition period from
capitalism to socialism as essential to the building of socialism.

"This rule is called proletarian because leadership in society and the state is exercised
by the working class which is headed by its Marxist-Leninist party and which acts in
alliance with the peasantry and other non-proletarian strata of working people.

"This rule is called a dictatorship because, while ensuring the broadest democracy for
working people, it may use force to suppress the resistance of exploiting classes and
activities of elements hostile to socialism.

DISARMAMENT: "a system of measures aimed at completely destroying or substantially

reducing or limiting the means of warfare and thus clearing the way to eliminating the
danger of the outbreak of war. "

COMMENT: Would disarmament as defined above then mean the problems between the
two hostile social systems have been resolved and people there would no longer be
tension between the two camps? No! It simply means the struggle would continue, but
more importantly, the Soviet Union and the socialist camp would be free to use scores
of other "forms of struggle" to accomplish its goal without ever having to worry about
going to war to defend its system or that the "enemy" camp would resort to war to
defend itself.

DOMESTIC POLICY: is "policy expressing the relationships between the classes, social
groups and nations of a given state and aimed at safeguarding the interests of the
dominant classes. "

EXPLOITATION: "the use of other people's labour for the purpose of enriching oneself.
Exploitation is based on private ownership of the means of production."

FASCISM: "a political trend which emerged in capitalist countries in the period of the
general crisis of capitalism and which expresses the interests of the most reactionary
and aggressive forces of the imperialist bourgeoisie. Fascism in power is an openly
terroristic dictatorship of these forces. Fascism is characterized by extreme chauvinism,
racism, and anti-communism...."

FOREIGN POLICY: is "policy regulating a particular country's relations with other states
and peoples in the international arena... The foreign policy of socialist countries is
based on the principles of proletarian internationalism and peaceful co-existence of
states with different social systems...."

HEGEMONY: is "leadership, preponderance in power and in influence. The hegemony of

the proletariat means the latter's leadership in relation to other social classes in
revolutionary struggle to overthrow the rule of the monopoly bourgeoisie, and after the
victory of the socialist revolution in building socialism and communism."

IDEALISM: is "one of the two principal trends in philosophy which, in opposition to

materialism, holds that the idea, spirit, or consciousness are primary and that nature,
being, or matter are secondary. Idealism is the philosophical expression of a religious
understanding of the world.

"There are two varieties of idealism, subjective and objective. Subjective idealism
regards the world as not existing independently of man's consciousness and it considers
that the only reality is individual consciousness, individual sensation and perception.
Objective idealism maintains that all things and phenomena, which do exist objectively,
independently of man's consciousness and will, have as their basis an 'absolute idea', a
'universal idea', or ultimately, God."

IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE: "one of the forms of class struggle between capitalism and
socialism."

IDEOLOGY: is "a system of political, legal, scientific, philosophical, religious, ethical and
aesthetic ideas and views. Ideology has a class character... . The prevailing ideology in
the USSR and other socialist countries is the ideology of Marxism-Leninism which
expresses the vital interests of the working class and serves the purpose of
transforming society along communist lines."

IMPERIALISM: is "monopolistic capitalism, the highest and last stage of capitalism

which began at the turn of the century, when the economic domination of capitalist
monopoly and finance capital was supplemented with their omnipotence in politics...."

INDIVIDUALISM: "a type of world outlook whose essence consists in regarding the
rights of the individuals as absolute and setting him against society. In reality the full
development of the individual is possible only in a collective and only with active
attitude towards social life."

INTELLIGENTSIA: "a social group consisting of persons professionally engaged in

complex mental labour and possessing the requisite special knowledge. The
intelligentsia is not a social class....

"Under capitalism the intelligentsia consists in the main of members of the propertied
class....

"In developing countries the intelligentsia to a large extent takes revolutionary-

democratic and anti-imperialist positions. Where the proletariat has not yet come to
play the leading role in society, the intelligentsia often constitutes the leading forces of
progressive social development, voicing the interests of the peasantry, artisans and
other working people.

"In the transition period from capitalism to socialism a new, socialist intelligentsia is
moulded which serves the interests of the working people. With the victory of socialism
and the abolition of exploiting classes the intelligentsia serves the needs of the working
people and its interests are inseparable from those of workers and peasants."

INTERNATIONALISM, PROLETARIAN: "one of the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism,

consisting in an awareness of the community of interests and of the need for effective
international solidarity of the working class and all working people in the struggle for
the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, for national liberation and social progress and for the
building of socialism and communism.

"Proletarian internationalism governs relations between the national contingents of the

working-class movement the Communist parties and the socialist countries, demanding
their solidarity and united action in the fight for the freedom and equality of all peoples,
for their friendship and co-operation, against racism, chauvinism, and bourgeois
nationalism."

L
LIBERALISM: "a political and ideological trend which unites supporters of the bourgeois-
parliamentary system...."

MARXISM-LENINISM: "a doctrine concerned with the fundamental laws of development

of nature and society, the revolutionary overthrow of the system based on exploitation
and the building of communism...."

MATERIALISM: "one of the two main trends in philosophy which, in contrast to

idealism, holds that the world is material, that matter, nature or being exist apart from
and independently of human consciousness, that matter is primary and the source of
sensations, while consciousness is secondary and derivative, that the world and the
laws governing its development can be apprehended by man and made use of in his
activity.

"Materialism develops in the course of struggle against idealism and superstition and in
close interaction with science, it is the world outlook of the foremost revolutionary
classes and strata of society.

"...They [dialectical and historical materialism] equip working people with scientific
knowledge of the world and inspire them to active struggle for the overthrow of the
capitalist system and for the building of socialism and communism.

MORALITY: "a form of social consciousness consisting of the sum total of standards and
principles of behavior in social and private life...

"Morality has a class character, and so different classes have different views on what is
moral and immoral, what is good and evil.

"...The moral code of the builders of communism calls for devotion to the communist
cause, friendship and fraternity of all the peoples of the USSR, ... and fraternal
solidarity with the working people of all countries."

NATIONALISM: "bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideology and policy in matters relating

the national question. Nationalism regards a nation as the supreme form of social
community existing outside history and transcending the class framework, as a
harmonious entity with identical basic interests shared by all the constituent social
strata.

"Nationalism is often used by reactionary circles to blunt the class consciousness of

working people...

NATIONAL LIBERATION REVOLUTION: "the revolution growing out of the national

liberation movement and aimed at destroying foreign domination and winning national
independence, eliminating national-colonial oppression and exploitation, implementing
the right of nations to self-determination and establishing a national state.

"In a situation in which two world systems, socialist and capitalist, exist, and the
balance of forces tips in favour of socialism, enslaved peoples in win independence
through armed struggle...

"The working class and the peasantry are the main driving forces of the present-day
national liberation revolution."

NUCLEAR FREE ZONE: "a territory where atomic and thermonuclear weapons are not
manufactured or deployed."

OPPORTUNISM: "a policy of class conciliation and accomodation hostile to the working
class.

Opportunism manifests itself "as a rejection of of revolutionary methods of struggle"

and a "collaboration with capitalist and imperialist governments."

"Right opportunism represents the theory and tactics of the bourgeois-influenced labour
aristocracy and the middle strata of capitalist society consisting in reliance on
spontaneity in the working-class movement, renunciation of socialist revolution and
denial of the necessity of the conquest of power by the working class."

" 'Left' opportunism is the ultra-revolutionism and adventurism of ruined small

proprietors and declassed elements based on voluntarist conceptions of the
omnipotence of revolutionary violence. Exponents of 'Left' opportunism try to push the
working-class movement onto the road of political gambles and senseless sacrifices."

PEACEFUL AND NON-PEACEFUL [VIOLENT] FORMS OF TRANSITION TO SOCIALISM:

"forms of revolutionary transition to socialism.

Historical conditions determine which form will be used. Both forms, however, are
complimentary since each is directed towards the victory of socialism.

"Marxists consider it desirable to use the peaceful form wherever possible and resort to
non-peaceful [violent] methods only when this is unavoidable."

"But one cannot rule out the possibility that at a particular stage in the development of
the revolution the masses may have to use arms if the ruling circles attempt to crush
the revolutionary movement by resorting to force."

PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE: "of states with different social systems, the fundamental
foreign policy principle of the socialist countries in the period of transition from
capitalism to socialism on a world scale; the peaceful form of struggle between the
opposing social systems (socialist and capitalist) in the political, economic and
ideological spheres. The principle was formulated by Lenin.

"The main task of peaceful coexistence is to avoid armed conflict in settling disputes."

COMMENT: It is worth noting that that while avoiding armed conflict in settling disputes
is desirable, that the preceeding definition, peaceful and violent forms of transition,
makes it clear that violence is not ruled out.

PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY: "the form of political organization of society that emerged as a

result of people's democratic revolutions in the 1940's in several European and Asian
countries. ...In a number of countries of people's democracies a multiparty system has
emerged in which Communist and worker's parties play the leading role. These parties
are the guiding force in the national fronts which have been establish there and which
unite all the political parties and mass organizations of working people (their names
vary from one country to another)."
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONS: "the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic
revolutions which took place in a number of European and Asian countries during and
after the Second World War (1939-1945) and which were the prelude to socialist
transformation in these countries. ...The strengthening of the positions of the working
class and its allies, the growth of Marxist-Leninist parties and the isolation of the
bourgeoisie made it possible to establish the power of the working people in the form of
a state of people's democracy, which signified the victory of socialist revolution."

PETTY BOURGEOISIE: "a social class occupying the immediate position between the
proletariat and the bourgeoisie, namely, working peasants, artisans and the like.

PREVENTIVE WAR: "a war supposedly aimed at preventing aggression but being in
reality a form of aggression. the more reactionary imperialist circles advocate the theory
of preventive war against socialist countries."

PROLETARIAT: "the class of wage labourers deprived of ownership of the means of

production and exploited by the bourgeoise. The class struggle of the proletariat against
the bourgeois leads to a socialist revolution, in which the proletariat is the main driving
force and provides leadership to the working peasantry and other strata of working
people."

COMMENT: It is worth remembering that the communist party is always the vanguard
of the proletariat. In essence, the party leads the leaders.

PROPAGANDA: "dissemination and explanation of ideas, doctrines, knowledge and

theories with a view to making them firm convictions of people. Propaganda is a
powerful weapon in the class struggle because the mass media enable it to reach broad
sections of the population. Bourgeois propaganda often deceives public opinion by
spreading deliberate lies and slander against socialist countries and progressive
regimes."
 R

REFORMISM: "a political trend within the working-class movement whose supporters try
to turn the bourgeois state into a "welfare state" and capitalism into a society of
"universal prosperity" by means of minor reforms which do not affect the social and
economic foundations of capitalism and which are carried out within the framework of
bourgeois democracy.

"The official doctrine of modern reformism, which is opposed to scientific communism,

is "democratic socialism"; this doctrine denies the necessity of class struggle, the
socialist revolution and the seizure of power by the working people, and calls for
collaboration of the exploiting and exploited classes. "

RELIGION: "a specific form of social consciousness whose basic feature is a belief in an
afterlife, in the immortality of the soul, resurrection a God or gods, god and evil spirits,
angels and so on.

"Religion is often used by reactionary bourgeois ideologists and politicians in the

interests of the exploiting classes as a means of keeping working people humble and
submissive, of diverting them from the class struggle for a just refashioning of society.

"Thus the attitude of Marxism-Leninism towards religious institutions and movements is

determined by the concrete aims which they pursue."

REVISIONISM: "an opportunist trend in the worker's movement, so called because it

strives to reconsider or revise the political, philosophical and economic foundations of
Marxism-Leninism, to deprive it of its revolutionary essence."

REVOLUTIONARY SITUATION: "a political situation in which the correlation of class

forces is such that the ruling classes that have outlived their time are no longer able to
maintain their supremacy in its old form.

"A revolutionary situation is characterized by a sharp deterioration of the condition of

the poor and oppressed classes and increased political a activity on the part of the
progressive class capable of assuming leadership in mass revolutionary action.

"Successful development of the revolution depends in a large measure on the existence

of a militant revolutionary party armed with progressive theory."

REVOLUTIONARY VIGILANCE: "an ability to identify and paralize the enemies of the
revolution, to find one's bearings in conditions of sharp class struggle between
capitalism and socialism."

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNISM: "one of the three component parts of Marxism-Leninism

which provides social and political grouns for the historic mission of the proletariat; a
science of the ways,forms and methods of reshaping society along communist lines.
"Its tasks include substantiation of the idea of the historical inevitability of the
revolutionary transformation of capitalist society into communist society, the place and
role of the working class and of the non-proletarian strata it leads in revolutionary
struggle, the content and role of national liberation and other democratic movements in
the world revolutionary process, the role and principles of the dictatorship of the
proletariat, the laws, ways and forms of building socialism and communism, and the
main principles of the strategy and tactics of Commmunist and workers' parties at all
stages of the struggle for communism.

"Scientific communism requires that the specific national features of each country be
taken into account in carrying out the tasks of the communist transformation of society.
The further development of scientific communism is based upon general conclusions
drawn from the wordlwide experience of revolutionary struggle."

SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: "a political trend in the international working-class movement

which emerged in the last third of the 19th century. Initially social democracy adopted a
revolutionary stand, spread the ideas of socialism and promoted the formation of mass
organizations of the working class.

"At the turn of the century, however, revisionist and opportunist trends grew strong
with social democracy, as a result of which it confined itself to advocating peaceful
actions and gradual social reforms and class collaboration with the imperialist
bourgeois, adopted a conception of the state and democracy that was "above" class
considerations, and regarded socialism as primarily a question of morality and ethics."

SOCIALISM: "the social system which replaces capitalism; the first phase of
communism. Under socialism there are no exploiting classes and no exploitation of man
by man, private ownership of the means of production is replaced by public ownership.

"Socialism has become a world system exerting a decisive influence on the course of
history."

SOCIALIST ORIENTATION: "the policy of some developing countries aimed at creating

the necessary conditions for building the foundations of socialism.

"The social and economic basis for socialist-oriented countries is the state sector of the
national economy, and the political basis, the transition of power into the hands of the
revolutionary democratic forces comprising the working class, the working peasantry,
the intelligentsia and office employees and professional workers.

"Assistance rendered by the world socialist system is an important factor in the advance
of developing countries on the road of socialist orientation."

SOCIALIST REVOLUTION: "the highest type of social revolution which accomplishes the
transition from capitalist to socialist society. The working class headed by its Marxist-
Leninist party is the main driving and leading force of the socialist revolution."
SOVIET THREAT: "an anti-Soviet propaganda myth about a danger allegedly menacing
the capitalist countries and coming from the Soviet Union."

SUPERPOWERS: "the term used, as a rule, by bourgeois ideologists, revisionists of all

kinds, opportunists and opponents of detente in an attempt to put the blame on the
Soviet Union for trying, just as the United States does, to decide the fate of the world in
its own interests, without regard for peoples' wishes."

TERRORISM: "the policy and practice of intimidation and violence, up to and including
physical annihilation, against political opponents.

"...the overall aim of terrorism is to destabilize the political life of a particular country, to
suppress democracy, to create conditions for the accession to power of the most
reactionary dictatorial regimes."

COMMENT: The problem is hardly explained by this, nor does this definition, only partly
quoted, suggest that the communists, one and all, support revolutionary terror,
revolutionary violence, and revolutionary (just) wars.

VOLUNTARISM: "an idealist trend in philosophy which regards the will of separate
individuals as the main principal of social development."

WAR: "armed struggle between states or between social classes (civil war). There are
just wars and unjust wars. Just wars are fought to repel aggression, to win freedom
from exploitation. ..Unjust wars are waged to perpetuate the domination of the
exploiting classes and to enrich them through enslaving other countries and peoples."

WORLD OUTLOOK: "a set of views on the world, nature and society. A sharp struggle is
being waged in our era between two opposing world outlooks, the communist and the
bourgeois. The communist world outlook rouses the working people to active
transformation of the world and inspires people with confidence in their powers and in
social progress."

WORLD REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS: "the sum total of revolutionary movements of our

times: socialist revolutions, national liberation, anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and
democratic revolutions; the struggle against facist and other tyrannical regimes for
peace, democracy and social progress.

"The world socialist system is the leading force of the world revolutionary process.

"In the present epoch the international working class and its political vanguard, the
Communist and workers' parties, actively fight for the rights of the working people, for
peace and the security of the peoples. Today communist parties are active in 94
countries. (Source is dated 1982).

COMMENT: The Hoover Institute's publication on world communism lists 97 active

parties in 1984.

WORLD SOCIALIST SYSTEM: "the social, economic and political community of countries
building socialism and communism and working for the just cause of peace and the
security of the peoples, for the interests of working people."

ZIONISM: "a reactionary nationalist movement which arose among the Jewish
bourgeoisie in several countries in the 19th century under the slogan of the union of all
Jews regardless of their class status. Zionism is closely linked with imperialist
monopolies and is hostile to the working-class movement and to communism. Zionism
is the official aggressive ideology of the State of Israel."

House, Moscow, 1982